


The Poison Within The Mind

by itsCupa



Category: Danganronpa
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2020-09-07 22:00:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20316670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsCupa/pseuds/itsCupa
Summary: After a brainwashing experiment orchestrated by Junko succeeds, Mukuro ends up hopelessly obsessed with Makoto. Junko skips town for a week right after, leaving behind her now Yandere sister and the target of her affection to put up with her until she returns to undo the experiment. Will he survive, or will her heart be irreversibly shattered into the despair Junko craves?





	1. Prologue

Dark rooms aren’t always the best places to hide. Makoto could feel it, he was being watched and he wasn’t alone. It was late at night, far too late for anyone but him to be in his dorm room, but the feeling of being watched persisted. He opened his eyes slowly, trying to quickly adjust. All he could make out was shadows, but he definitely saw the shadow of someone at the end of his bed staring right at him.  
“What’s going on…?” He mumbled tiredly in confusion, trying to force his eyes to make out who it was at the end of his bed. The person didn’t move an inch, staying unrecognisable.  
“Go to sleep, Makoto.” The person told him. He recognised the voice, but was too tired to figure out who it was. A yawn slipped out from his mouth, but laid back slowly and tried to fall asleep again. He was back in deep sleep in minutes. 

When he woke up properly, he instantly knew something was wrong. Aside from his alarm not going off to wake him, he was in a sitting position and someone was sitting on top of his lap. He realised quickly it was Mukuro, sleeping peacefully with her head rested on his shoulder. Her arms were around him, and he realised his had been tied around her. His ankles and waist were also tied to the chair he was sat on, which was in a bedroom similar to his own but obviously not his. The military poster on the wall almost certainly proved this was Mukuro’s room.  
“Mukuro!” He squirmed underneath her. While she did admittedly look pretty cute like that, he was confused and a little scared. His futile attempts to move were soon halted by a cackling laughter.  
“There’s no escape for you, Makoto!” It was Mukuro’s twin sister, Junko. He looked up and saw that she was in front of him, grinning like a madwoman.  
“Junko… what’s going on?” He asked nervously, looking up at her. She pulled out a board with a large presentation with a flourish, her whole personality changing in that instant.  
“Me and my friend Yasuke from class 77a wanted to test out some new mental manipulation technology he had been working on, and Mukuro had so very kindly volunteered to be our little guinea pig.” Junko told him, tapping on the glasses she was now wearing with one hand while holding a clip board with the other. “As a result of Yasuke’s new brainwashing technology my sister fell completely and hopelessly obsessed with you. I would undo it, but I’m heading out of the country for a week. Have fun dealing with her. Feel free to shatter her newfound Yandere heart too. In fact, I encourage it. That’s the plan after all.” Her lighthearted tone suddenly darkened and became far darker and more serious. “I’m sure you know about the Yandere archetype, lovesick girl’s unable to stay away from their beloved. As of now, you are my Yandere protege’s beloved. She’ll do anything to isolate you from your friends in the class and force you to love her, in turn making you despise her and possibly even fear her. She’s a soldier more than capable of committing a murder just to keep you all to herself. When I reverse the brainwashing she’ll realise that she has done such unforgivable things, sending her spiralling into a despair I can manipulate to my hearts content.” Makoto looked at Mukuro with some worry, but she was still fast asleep. It was clear she hadn’t heard a thing Junko had said. “Don’t worry about her, she can sleep through a war on a battlefield.” Junko said in a bored tone. She sighed, before shrugging her shoulders and grabbing a case. “Well, I’m off. Have fun! Oh, and if she gets too much feel free to knock her out and tie her up in her room. That’ll hold her for a few hours.” With that last remark, she flounced out the door and slammed it shut behind her. Makoto stared at the door for a moment, before feeling movement on his lap. Mukuro’s eyes opened slowly, looking at him.  
“Makoto…” she mumbled tiredly, a small smile appearing on her face. She kissed his cheek and yawned. Her hug tightened for a moment, before relaxing. He didn’t move, not that he was able to.  
“Mukuro… do you think you could untie me?” Makoto asked gently, not wanting to upset her. He didn’t like upsetting people anyway, but he didn’t know just how unstable her emotions were after the brainwashing and he didn’t want to upset her or anger her.  
“In a minute… cuddle me.” She mumbled insistently, snuggling up to him. Makoto was surprised at this soft side she kept hidden behind her strong silent demeanour. Although hesitant initially, he did cuddle her as she requested. He had just enough movement with his arms to hold her quite close to him. “Thank you, my love.” She said quietly into his ear, her hand running up his back to play with his hair. Makoto was silent, trying to adjust to this new side of Mukuro. It was just for a week until she went back to normal, although he hoped he could use this week to build some relationship with her that would last. 


	2. The First Day

Monday morning. Makoto was released with just enough time to get ready and go to class. Mukuro was adamant about staying right beside him. She had just watched him the entire time. He felt on edge every time he felt her eyes staring into him, but he was trying to push it off. She couldn’t help it, he told himself. They soon reached the classroom, where they were greeted by Sayaka.  
“Makoto, Mukuro, good morning!” She smiled brightly, waving at the pair. Mukuro grabbed Makoto’s arm and literally hissed at Sayaka. She jumped back in confusion and slight fear.  
“Sorry about her… I’ll explain later.” Makoto apologised on Mukuro’s behalf, feeling a little embarrassed about the whole situation. He pushed Mukuro gently in the direction of her desk, trying to hide his face. She just followed him. “What was that for?” He asked as she sat at her desk. She looked up at him with doe eyes, batting her eyelashes in an innocent way.  
“She talked to you like that, sweetheart. She was flirting and trying to take you away from me.” She said to him, trying to sound as sad as possible. He sighed, realising this was going to be a problem. Junko had warned him she would be super overprotective, but hissing at someone just saying hello was excessive, and he knew he’d have to show her that.  
“Mukuro Ikusaba.” He placed both his hands on her freckled cheeks and turned her head so she was looking right into his eyes. “You can’t hiss at people just because they’re kind to me. You gotta be nice to others too. Okay?” He asked, keeping a firm voice and blank expression. Mukuro made a small pout, but nodded a little as she rested her hands daintily on his. It was only then he noticed the pink blush highlighting her freckles. He pulled his hands away and stood up straight. “You should apologise to Sayaka...” he told her, unsure if she actually would.  
“I’ll do it later sweetheart. Class is about to start, and I want to spend the whole day just with you.” She said sweetly, smiling at him. Her eyes didn’t move from him for even a second, and hadn’t the entire exchange. She just stared at him with those lovesick eyes. 

Lunchtime seemed to take longer than usual to arrive for Makoto. He felt like he was being constantly stared at throughout the few hours of class, and he knew who it was. It couldn’t be anyone else. Sayaka was quick to approach him, and as soon as she opened her mouth, he could feel malicious intent coming from the person staring.  
“Want to get lunch together? You can explain to me what’s going on.” She suggested, smiling fairly innocently at him. She still vividly remembered being hissed at by Mukuro when she was with him, and he said he would explain. He knew something she and everyone else around her didn’t about her.  
“I would lo- hey!” He was about to agree when he felt someone grab his wrist and pull him away. He stumbled and fell into the person, only to be caught.  
“Be careful, sweetheart.” It was, unsurprisingly, Mukuro. She picked him up and put him over her shoulder, carrying him out of the room. He looked back and smiled apologetically at Sayaka, waving goodbye to her.  
“Mukuro, do you want to spend time with me?” He asked, letting out a quiet sigh. There wasn’t much of a verbal response from her. Instead, he felt her tighten her grip on him for a second, and heard a quiet “Mhm” that only could’ve come from her. “Please… just ask. Don’t do this.” He asked. She just carried on walking, giving him another gentle momentary squeeze for an answer. 

She took him into the garden on the fifth floor, setting him down in a fairly secluded part. He was relieved to be back on his own two feet. He wasn’t a huge fan of being carried like that, but he didn’t expect her to know. They hardly knew each other despite being classmates.  
“This is a nice place, how did you find out this was here?” He asked, sitting down on the grass. She shrugged and sat down opposite, closer than comfortable. Their knees were basically touching.  
“I was just wandering through the garden one lunch when Junko-chan was busy and found this place. I come here sometimes to just relax and take my mind off things.” She explained innocently, fiddling with her fingers. Part of her wanted to reach over and hold on to his hand, but she seemed to be holding herself back.  
“Ah…” He reached into his bag and pulled out a lunch box for himself, expecting Mukuro to do the same. She didn’t. “Don’t you have lunch?” He decided to ask. She shook her head, looking down at her lap. He felt kinda bad until he reached into his bag to get his chopsticks. He pulled out his, along with a spare set he kept. “We can share if you want. This should get us both through at least until the end of class.” He suggested, offering her the spare set of chopsticks. She seemed hesitant to take them, but did.  
“Thank you Makoto.” She thanked him in a soft voice, watching as he opened the box. Almost immediately she was hit with the aroma of noodles and fresh vegetables. Along with that was some rice balls and some American candy.  
“I hope you like it. I made it myself.” He told her, taking a rice ball. She did the same and nodded, tucking in to their now shared lunch box of food. For Mukuro, as soon as she put the first morsel of food into her mouth she felt different. It was like eating a mouthful of the most luxurious five star food money can buy after starving for weeks. She felt like she understood her upperclassman Teruteru Hanamura when he would go on about how incredible his dishes were. To the yandere, nothing was even close to being as delicious as the food her beloved had made. She had to stop herself eating every last mouthful. This was Makoto’s food. Food that he’d given her the privilege of sharing with him.  
“It’s… so good…” she said quietly, not quite aware that she was loud enough and close enough to Makoto for him to hear her. He laughed softly, smiling brightly at the compliment. He thought he was just an average cook.  
“Ah, than-“ he was cut off by her tightly clasping his hand with both of hers, almost knocking the chopsticks out of his hand. Her eyes held more hope than she’d ever been able to experience thus far in life as they stared right into his.  
“Please cook for me every day for the rest of our lives!” She begged, her grip tightening to uncomfortable levels. He flinched and tried to pull his hand out of her’s with no success.  
“It’s a little soon to be asking something like that…” he told her. Instantly she let go and looked disappointed. He felt bad. “But… I wouldn’t mind every so often.” He told her, keeping his eye on her. She turned to look at him, her mood having improved slightly. “Why don’t you make us lunch tomorrow?” He suggested, already quite happy to make future plans with her.  
“Okay! I can do that.” She smiled again, causing him to smile too. Maybe this week wouldn’t be so bad with a yandere Mukuro. Maybe this would turn out to be nothing more than a much needed confidence boost on her end that would create an incredible relationship between the pair. 


	3. The Second Day

Makoto was groggy when he first woke up the next morning. A quick glance as his blaring alarm clock told him he was going to be late soon. He jumped up, noticing a pile of neatly folded clothing on the dresser with a small note on top. He got up and picked up the note, reading the somewhat scruffy handwriting.   
_I hope you don’t mind that I’ve prepared your clothes for today sweetheart. I’ll be waiting for you in class today. See you then Makoto darling! - Mukuro_  
Makoto wasn’t surprised, although he did wonder how she got in. The door was locked and he held the only key. Still, he didn’t have time to wonder. He had to get dressed and get to class. 

Makoto made it to class right as it was beginning. He hurried to his seat, but he couldn’t help but turn to see if Mukuro was there or if she’d been behind him. She was just innocently sat at her desk, wearing Makoto’s jacket. He knew she’d been into his room, but was still surprised to see her in his jacket. It was too late for him to say anything however. He just took his seat at the desk beside Sayaka, noticing a note placed on his desk. He just assumed it was from Mukuro, so he was surprised when he opened it to see it was from Sayaka.   
_Mukuro’s acting really weird, especially towards me. What’s the deal? She seems awfully close to you, so surely you must know!_  
He turned to her and tapped on her shoulder. The teacher didn’t really care what they were doing. Makoto wanted to tell her in person the whole situation, even though he could feel Mukuro staring right at him.   
“Basically, Junko brainwashed Mukuro into an almost Yandere obsession with me. She promised she’d fix it when she gets back in just under a week.” Makoto told her quietly. Sayaka was a little confused. She wasn’t expecting that.   
“Well… have you tried talking to that neurologist upperclassman?” Sayaka asked back in an equally hushed tone. He shook his head. He hadn’t thought about doing that, and wouldn’t have a clue where to find him even if he had.   
“I’ll think about it.” He said, turning back to the lesson. He would’ve allowed the conversation to continue, but he could feel Mukuro staring at the pair. He didn’t want it to end badly. 

That lunchtime, Mukuro and Makoto went back to the garden to share lunch together. Mukuro was still wearing Makoto’s jacket, which fit nicely minus the sleeves being a little too short.   
“Can I have my jacket back?” He asked tentatively. It was his favourite one, and he liked wearing it. She blushed a little.   
“I would, but…” she unzipped the jacket, revealing all she had on underneath was a fancy bra that looked brand new.   
“Ah!” He covered his eyes, blushing furiously from embarrassment. This was almost as bad as walking in on her getting changed. She quickly zipped up the jacket, tapping his knee to let him know it was safe to uncover his eyes. “Okay, keep it for today, just return it tomorrow please...!” He begged, hesitant to look.   
“Okay.” She giggled and gently took his hands, pulling them away. He looked at the innocent little smile on her face, unsure wether to believe her or not. His hands moved on their own as he found himself holding on to her hands as tightly as she held his. The moment was ruined by a rumble of Makoto’s stomach. That seemed to send Mukuro into a frenzy. She quickly searched her bag and pulled out a lunch box, holding it up to him. “I made lunch like we planned!”  
“I knew you would.” He opened the box to see noodles with chicken and cut up vegetables such as carrots and bean shoots, along with a box of pocky. “Looks good. I bet it tastes good too.” He said as he took his pair of chopsticks from his bag. She did the same, allowing him to share. Silence overcame them as they ate their noodles, but it was a pleasant silence. Once the noodles had been finished, Mukuro picked up the box and initiated a game of pocky. He blushed as he gently bit into his end of the pocky, both moving in. He didn’t know why he just decided to play, it just felt right. However, once they were barely an inch apart he seemed to regain his senses and pulled away. Mukuro ate the rest of the pocky stick, looking defeated despite the very obvious blush. So close, yet so far. She shared the rest of the pocky sticks with Makoto, not playing the game anymore. 

Mukuro hadn’t left his side at all that night, and Makoto felt kinda bad when he had to kick her out of his room so he could get to sleep. They had class to attend in the morning. She didn’t get to sleep in her own room like he did, however. Just before midnight, when the majority of the students would be deep in sleep, Mukuro climbed through the vent from her room into Makoto’s, moving silently and daintily so as not to wake him. She stopped at his bedside, watching him for a moment. He was so peaceful and innocent in his sleep, his face even held a small remnant of a smile. She badly wanted a photo, but her phone camera wouldn’t pick it up in the dark and she couldn’t activate the flash without waking him. Still, she’d hold it in her memory. She picked up hid phone from the bedside table, quietly humming as she got to work setting up a tracking app on his phone connected to her own. Like most teenagers, Makoto never left the dorm without his phone, and this way she could find out where he was even when she wasn’t with him. She set the phone back down once she’d succeeded.   
“Sweet dreams, my beloved sweetheart.” She said softly, kissing his cheek before heading back to the vent when she noticed the laundry basket. She took a peek inside, seeing a pair of underwear Makoto had worn the day before. She grabbed it with a grin, quickly making her escape back through the vent. They’d make a lovely addition to the shrine she’d been making dedicated to him. 


	4. The Third Day

Quiet humming filled the kitchen as Makoto made his and Mukuro’s lunch for the day. This time he made sure to make extra so there would be enough for both. He couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched, however. An initial look around the room yielded no results, but he still felt like he was being watched. After a minute he looked around again, this time also looking up. From the vent, he could make out the shadow of a person.   
“Mukuro?” He asked curiously, knowing only she had motive to be in the vent watching him. He wouldn’t put it past her to know how to get into them either. As soon as her name left his mouth, there was banging in the vent as she shadow moved. In seconds it was gone, as was the noise. He was worried he’d scared her off a little. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he went back to making lunch. 

Just as he was about to enter the classroom, he was intercepted by Sayaka. She didn’t even look at him as she dragged him to a secluded part of the corridor. She looked around anxiously to make sure they were alone before talking.   
“Makoto you need to stay away from Mukuro. She’s dangerous.” She told him bluntly, making sure she was close to him physically and holding his hands. He would’ve stepped back had the wall not been blocking him.   
“Has she hurt you?” He was overcome with worry for Sayaka’s safety in that moment. He didn’t like breaking any girl’s heart, but he would have to if it meant protecting someone as close to him as she was.   
“No, but she came into my room last night and left me this.” She pulled out a note from her pocket. On the paper was a few simple words. _Stay away from Makoto. He is mine._ The note was unsigned, but Sayaka had recognised the handwriting. Makoto read the note two times over, like he couldn’t believe the words on the paper. “Makoto, I’m scared.”   
“I won’t let her hurt you Sayaka. I promise, nothing will happen. It’s just a few more days, then everything will go back to normal.” He tried his hardest to reassure her. She held the note tight to her chest, looking up at him with doe eyes. She was about to say something when their private conversation was interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Both Makoto and Sayaka turned to see Mukuro, clearing her throat and holding her phone. “Oh, h-hi Mukuro.” Without a word she walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, giving Sayaka a death glare. She made a low growl in her direction, causing Sayaka to run off. “Mukuro!” Makoto pushed her off him, and instantly she looked panicked. “I thought I told you not to do that.” He scolded her, noticing her getting increasingly upset. She didn’t like that he was unhappy with her, not at all.   
“You only said I can’t hiss at people for being nice to you.” She told him, folding her arms and pouting with a slight smugness like she’d won. He sighed and shook his head, turning away slightly.   
“You can’t make any kind of sound like that to anyone. You have to be kind to everyone.” He insisted bluntly, turning and walking away. He only made it a few steps before he felt her hugging him from behind. Her grip was firm, keeping him in place.   
“I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad at me anymore. I’ll change for you, I promise. I’ll be whatever you want me to be, just please stay with me forever.” She begged him, her grip starting to crush him. He didn’t struggle, just sighing.   
“Just let me go. You’re starting to crush me.” He asked her. Instantly she let go, biting her lip anxiously. He looked at her, feeling bad. He took her hand and silently walked to class. That improved her mood greatly. 

At lunch they met in the garden like usual for lunch. Makoto sat down on the floor, expecting her to sit beside him like usual. Instead, she sat herself right on his lap. He was surprised, both by her doing that and by how light she was for being taller and stronger than him. He didn’t complain, just fiddling in his bag trying to find their lunch.   
“This isn’t exactly helping, you know.” He sighed quietly, eventually finding his lunch. Mukuro seemed oblivious, nuzzling her head into the side of his neck affectionately. He tapped her gently, getting her attention this time. She took her chopsticks as he opened the box, the aroma hitting her nose. It smelled so good to her.   
“Wow. Thank you Makoto.” She took the box and set it on her lap, changing position slightly so he could reach it easier. It was clear she had absolutely no intention of moving from his lap. Silence fell over the pair as they ate their noodles. She noticed one long noodle hanging from his mouth. She got the other end and put it in her own, closing the gap and hoping for a Lady and the Tramp moment. Makoto noticed, while they were mere inches apart, which was when he bit off his end and let her finish it. Mukuro was disappointed about it not working a second time to get a kiss, but she knew they still had tomorrow. 

Sayaka walked back to the dorms from a rehearsal with her idol group, innocently humming their newest song until she was intercepted by Mukuro holding a knife. She had a deadpan look on her face, and a murderous intent in her eyes. Sayaka genuinely feared for her life.   
“I saw you talking to my Makoto today. Stay away from him, or I won’t hesitate to use this knife. You’re lucky you’re getting just a warning, but I won’t warn you twice.” Mukuro threatened, the knife staying mere inches from her neck. Sayaka nodded slowly, wary of the blade. She was scared, sure, but she was also worried for Makoto. She was very aware of yandere girls and what they were capable of, even more so now this one had military training under her belt. Mukuro let out a low grunt, like she approved of Sayaka’s answer. She pulled the knife away and disappeared back where she’d come from. Sayaka was very shaken, almost running back to the dorm in case Mukuro changed her mind. 

The night was dark, almost midnight even, when there was movement in the vent above Makoto. He was deep in sleep, blissfully unaware of the intruder coming back in. It was Mukuro again, with his jacket on over her pyjamas. She came into the room silently, and looked straight at him. He looked so pure and perfect in his sleep. She sat very carefully on the end of the bed, just watching him. A soft smile formed on her face as she just sat and watched. In her yandere mind, this was the most entertaining thing ever. She could stay awake forever to just watch him sleep, and that’s what she planned to do. At least until morning anyway. 


	5. The Fourth Day

Makoto’s night had not been very peaceful. He’d felt like someone had been in his room watching him all night, yet every time he woke and looked around, nobody was there. It was weird and confusing and even a little scary. He tried to brush it off as he went about his usual morning routine, but it just lingered in the back of his mind. 

As Makoto entered the classroom he was immediately greeted by Mukuro. She hugged him, holding him rather close. He didn’t fight back or push her away, instead returning the hug for a moment.   
“We’re still having lunch together today, right?” She asked the second she let go. She’d grown to love their daily routine of eating lunch together, and it was her turn to make their shared lunch.   
“Of course we are.” He reassured her. She smiled brightly, looking back at him. The way she looked at him, even as innocent as it was now, reminded him a lot of the person watching him in his sleep. “Can I ask you about something?” He asked cautiously.   
“Okay. What is it?” She asked curiously. He didn’t speak, gently taking her hand and leading her over to a private corner of the classroom. He didn’t want anybody else in their business.   
“Last night, I felt someone was watching me in my sleep. Do you know anything about that?” He didn’t want to outright accuse her of being the one watching him, knowing that would cause her upset, but he did have his suspicions. She shook her head.   
“No!” Her answer was a little too fast for his liking. ”I’ll keep my eye out though, and if I see anyone super suspicious staring at you I’ll kill them and then kill them again!” She promised enthusiastically, her hand going to the survival knife she kept strapped around her thigh.   
“Ah! Th-that’s not necessary!” He quickly grabbed her hand to stop her. He didn’t want her to kill anyone, especially not for something as ordinary as looking at him. “If you see anything, just tell me and I’ll handle it.” He told her rather firmly. She pouted a little, but agreed to those terms. He walked back to his seat, seeing Sayaka sitting at her desk beside his with her head turned away from him. “Sayaka, is everything okay?” He asked in concern.   
“Fine, just fine.” She told him quickly, not looking at him. She sounded as anxious as she looked. She hadn’t spoken to him since her encounter with Mukuro, and for her own safety she didn’t want to. He frowned and sat at his desk, deciding to leave her be for a while. 

That lunchtime, Makoto and Mukuro met in their usual place, with Mukuro holding a lunch box for the pair. She’d worked very extra hard to make this lunch even better than the last. She sat right at his side, not on his lap today.   
“This looks great. Thanks for cooking today Mukuro.” Makoto said cheerfully, taking his chopsticks from her and sharing the food evenly. As he finished eating, he began to feel… different. Hot… heavy… he looked at Mukuro and noticed her face was bright red with blushing, and she was fidgeting every couple of seconds.   
“Makoto… May I…?” Mukuro’s voice was softer, more hesitant and flirtatious than he’d ever heard it before. She moved in closer, her face inches from his. He was blushing just as heavily as she was.   
“Yeah…” he responded in almost the same voice. She gently grabbed his jacket and pulled him in for a kiss. Gentle and slow, yet full of passion. He in turn kissed back, holding her close to him in a loving embrace. The kissing turned into making out, with minor breaks just for a breath of air. “Let’s take this all the way…” he suggested between kisses.   
“Okay.” She consented, kissing him over again. His hands explored her body as he kissed her, and hers did the same. They wanted each other more than anything else in that moment. High on the aphrodisiac Mukuro had slipped into their food, it was all they could think about. 

The garden was silent now, and class had long since started. Clothes were strewn all over their hiding spot. Mukuro was cuddled up tightly to Makoto, her head rested on his bare chest. The aphrodisiac was wearing off now.   
“Mukuro…!” He mumbled, looking at her with some shock. He was coming to his senses now, realising what they’d just done together. “G-get up.” He tried to shake her off him, but she was a lot stronger than he was. She mumbled something incoherent, nuzzling her head into the side of his neck and even giving him a few kisses. He sighed and grabbed his jacket, wrapping it around her so she would no longer be exposing herself to him.   
“Makoto…” she mumbled his name, holding on to his jacket after letting him go. She was still blushing ever so lightly.   
“I’m sorry… I don’t know what came over me…” he apologised, looking at her sheepishly. She kissed his cheek gently and handed back his jacket.   
“It’s okay. We both wanted it.” She assured him before turning her attention to gathering her clothes. He did the same, quickly getting dressed with his back to her so she could do the same without feeling like she was being watched. Once dressed Mukuro looked at the time on her phone. “We can’t go back to class now. It’s halfway through already. Lets just… stay here and head back later.” She suggested, making herself comfy. He sat beside her.   
“Yeah. We’d get questions, and I don’t think I want to answer any of them.” He agreed, taking his phone and a pair of headphones from his pocket. “We could just watch YouTube for a little while before heading back for next lesson.” He suggested, offering her one of the headphones. She took it and put it in her ear, shuffling closer and resting her head on his shoulder under the guise of wanting to see the screen better. 

Makoto sat alone in his room, constantly looking around every few minutes or so. He was anxious that he was still being watched like he was the night before. Even so, he was startled by a knock on his bedroom door. He opened it, half expecting to see Mukuro. Instead it was Kyoko.   
“May I come in?” She asked before letting herself in. He shut the door behind her and locked it to give the pair some privacy. “Mukuro is acting strange towards you recently. Know why?” She asked, sitting herself down on his bed.   
“Ah… Junko messed with her mind.” Makoto awkwardly explained. He wasn’t too sure what else to say.   
“Makoto, you’re going to have to elaborate. With Junko that could mean anything.” Kyoko told him rather bluntly. She took her small pocketbook from her pocket along with a pen and looked up at him expectantly.   
“Junko… she performed some kind of experiment on Mukuro and now she’s yandere-obsessed with me but Junko isn’t coming back until Monday to fix this.” Makoto blurted out. He didn’t really like telling anyone, but it kinda came out faster than he could decide if that was a believable explanation. “I told Sayaka, and she suggested to contact the Ultimate Neurologist or something but I have no way to.” He admitted.   
“I’ll worry about that. Just keep her from acting out on her yandere tendencies until I can get you in contact with someone to help.” Kyoko told him, standing up and leaving without another word. Makoto sighed and sat back where she’d been a few seconds before, wondering what would happen between now and Monday, especially with the weekend approaching. 


	6. The Fifth Day

Heavy… Makoto felt so heavy as he woke up. This wasn’t like normal at all, and he couldn’t understand why at first. It took a moment to get his bearings, and when he did he was met with a huge surprise. Mukuro was fast asleep beside him, with her head on his shoulder and her arms and legs wrapped around him. No wonder he couldn’t move when she was holding him in such a bear hug.   
“M-Mukuro…!” He said, trying to shake her off gently. She kept cuddling him, snuggling up into him. He got a little tougher pushing her, anxious about hurting her but wanting to wake her. When that didn’t work he took his phone and sounded his alarm near her ear.   
“Ah…” she mumbled, opening her eyes. She looked at him, seeming confused for a second before starting to panic. “I-I’m sorry! M-Makoto… I-I can- it’s not- I’m sorry!” She began stammering our apologies and parts of explanations, her eyes watering. Were her tears genuine, or a bid at sympathy? He couldn’t tell.   
“Why are you in my room?” He asked, sitting up and pushing her off him. He looked around, trying to find how she could’ve gotten in. He could’ve sworn he locked the door, yet with no other visible entrance points he couldn’t help but doubt. She just shook her head, refusing to answer. “Just… go to your room please. I’ll see you in class.” He told her, getting up and going to the drawers to find his clothes for the day. She looked down, saddened by the thought of him being mad at her. She got up and quickly made the bed before leaving and heading back to her own room. 

“I’m kinda concerned Kyoko…” Makoto admitted to his detective classmate, slumping down on his desk slightly. He had so much going on in his mind with this whole Yandere situation, and while Junko promised she’d fix it on Monday, he didn’t know if things would ever be the same after. “I mean, she was in my room last night, and when I woke up she was literally on top of me asleep.” He continued, starting to rant a little.   
“The most I can do is keep an eye on her, and potentially have Sakura on speed dial in case of emergency.” Kyoko told him with a sigh. Sakura was the only classmate capable of defeating Mukuro in a fight, which would serve them well should she choose to attack anyone in her Yandere mindset.   
“I’m still worried… especially with me-“ he cut off as he heard her entering the classroom. She headed straight towards him and Kyoko, an almost venomous look being directed at Kyoko. She seemed to take a silent hint, walking away from Makoto’s desk as Mukuro reached it.  
“You’re not mad at me, are you?” She asked timidly, fiddling with the edge of her jacket shyly. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye, no matter how desperately he wanted to.   
“No… I’m not mad.” He admitted after a long moment of silence while trying to decide what he should tell her. The relief was instant for her. She smiled at him and hugged him, nuzzling her head into his shoulder affectionately.   
“I’d never be able to forgive myself if you were mad at me.” She admitted, leaning on him more and more with each passing second. He found himself awkwardly putting his arms around her waist too.   
“Don’t worry so much Mukuro.” He told her, patting her back for a moment before letting her go. She took the hint after almost a minute, letting go of him as well. “I guess you still want to meet in the garden for lunch like usual, right?” He asked, causing her eyes to light up. “Alright. Meet me in the garden at lunchtime like normal then, I’ll worry about food.” He said to her as the teacher entered the classroom. She nodded and smiled at him, before heading to her seat. 

Makoto arrived in their part of the garden a little after lunchtime started. He’d stopped in the cafeteria first to grab some food for them. Due to the surprise of finding Mukuro in his bed that morning, he hadn’t thought about making their lunch like usual. Mukuro was sitting facing the entrance when he came in, fidgeting anxiously.   
“Makoto, I’m glad you’re here. I was starting to worry you’d ditched me to be with someone else.” She started, pouting as he sat opposite her. “And you know I would’ve had to do something really serious about that if you had left me for someone who doesn’t deserve you.” Her words and tone of voice started taking a darker turn, one that made Makoto nervous.   
“Mukuro.” He said her name firmly, not wanting her to carry on with whatever fantasy was going through her twisted mind. “Please do not kill anyone for me, because I will be unforgivably mad at you.” He warned her, handing her a sandwich in an attempt to end this conversation. She sighed very softly, opening the packaging and eating in silence. It was still clear she was disappointed that this was food he’d brought instead of made, but she tried to cheer herself up with the thought that he’d spent his money on her.   
After they’d both finished eating, an awkward silence hung in the air. Makoto knew he had some news for her that she’d hate, but he knew he had to tell her.   
“Mukuro, I’m, uh… I’m heading back to my parents house tonight for the weekend. I’ll be back sometime Sunday evening.” He told her looking at her face to gauge her reaction. For a moment she was stoic, before her expression crumpled into one of sadness and worry.  
“You’re leaving me all on my own? I’m why can’t I come with you? I can’t be on my own! I can’t be without you!” She whined, genuinely about to start sobbing. He felt bad for upsetting her, but he had no choice.   
“I’m afraid not. Sorry Mukuro. But… it’s only two nights, and my phone will be on me most of the time so you can text me, and I’ll make sure to phone and check in on you when ever I can.” He held his hand out, his pinkie finger extended to her in an attempt to make a pinkie promise. Silly, he knew, but it hoped it would reassure her. She linked pinkie fingers, not looking him in the eye. She was trying not to cry. Her mind was racing with all the things that could happen when he was away from her, things that she’d do everything in her power to prevent. No, he couldn’t possibly leave her alone. Wherever he went, she’d be right behind him. 


	7. The Sixth Day

Makoto rose with the sun early in the morning. He’d had a more pleasant night sleep than he had in the entire week. Nobody was watching him, none of his possessions had been moved let alone stolen, and most importantly no yanderes in the bed with him. He was in a really good mood. Sayaka was in the area too, and he was planning to spend the afternoon with her. He hadn’t been able to spend any time with her over the week, and that saddened him. They’d grown quite close since they started attending Hope’s Peak. 

Hours later, there was a loud knock at the door. Komaru was first to answer it, seeing none other than Mukuro stood at the door with an innocent look on her face.  
“Uhh who are you?” Komaru asked, confused. She’d never seen this girl before in her life, and didn’t know if she knew her brother at all. She didn’t like it much. Mukuro was on a similar boat. She didn’t know Komaru was Makoto’s sister, and was worried about her being Makoto’s partner. She’d commit homicide right there and then if that was the case. She decided to make a claim that would hopefully make her back off if that was the case.   
“Oh, hello. I’m Makoto’s girlfriend Muku-.” She began to introduce herself before Komaru cut her off with a gasp. She couldn’t believe Makoto had a girlfriend, purely as she’d never been told.  
“My brother has a girlfriend? And he didn’t tell me?!” She was shocked, but also pleased. She always teased her brother about having a girlfriend, which he’d always deny, but now he couldn’t. “Come in, come in!” She encouraged, grabbing Mukuro by her slender wrist and practically pulling her into the house. 

“Makoto! Someone’s here to see you!” Komaru yelled one a sing-song voice as she dragged Mukuro into the living room where Makoto was currently watching the TV. He just assumed it was Sayaka arriving early, but his stomach dropped when he saw Mukuro behind his sister.   
“Makoto!” Her eyes lit up brightly as she ran to him and hugged him tightly. It hadn’t even been a day since she saw him last, but to her it felt like forever.   
“I’ll give you two lovebirds some privacy!” Komaru giggled and ran back out of the room, ignoring Makoto’s obvious frown. He had just wanted some time away from her, time with other friends like Sayaka, but he already knew she wasn’t going to let that happen.   
“Mukuro, how did you find where I live?” He asked, gently pushing her off him. He had never disclosed his address to her, and was still unaware of the tracker she’d installed on his phone.   
“That’s not important Makoto darling. Aren’t you happy to see me?” She asked, pouting and giving him puppy eyes. She was beyond happy to see him, and she’d expected the same reaction from him. Not the distaste she was sensing.   
“Whatever.” He sighed and sat back down on the sofa. He was tired of pretending to be happy to be around her when she was like this. ‘Just a few more days’, he had told himself too many times. ‘Just a few days and Junko will fix it’. He’d grown tired of trying to convince himself. “I have plans today though, important plans, and you can’t come with me. I can’t cancel or rearrange them either. I’m sorry.” He told her straightforward. He didn’t want to cancel on Sayaka, but also didn’t exactly want them crossing paths right now while Mukuro was so unstable. Mukuro frowned and looked away. She didn’t want him to suspect that she’d follow him wherever he went, even though she absolutely would. 

Sayaka was already in the park when Makoto arrived, followed soon by Mukuro who stayed out of their sight.  
“I’m happy to see you Makoto. Feels like forever.” Sayaka giggled, sitting on a swing and pushing herself into a gentle back and forth. Makoto sat beside her, keeping his swing still. He had a lot on his mind right now.   
“I get the feeling you’ve been avoiding me at school for the past few days.” He admitted, getting straight to the point. He didn’t want to dance around the issue, what good would that do? “Be honest with me, is it because of Mukuro?” Sayaka stopped the swing, hesitating on telling the truth.   
“She threatened me.” Her voice was soft, yet Makoto could still make out her words. She stared down at her shoes as she continue to confess why she’d been so distant. “She held a knife to my neck, told me to stay away from you or else. You know what she’s capable of. I was scared…” Makoto got up and hugged her gently. He didn’t know Mukuro was watching, and he wanted to comfort his friend. He wanted them to spend a few hours like they would before this went down.   
“It’s okay. Things are gonna be okay, and I’ll do whatever I can to make it so.” He told her, just holding her close. He didn’t want to make her feel more unsafe by telling her she was around. He just wanted to comfort his friend. It seemed to work, as she stood up and hugged him in return. She trusted him. 

It was getting late now, and Makoto was getting tired. Just as he was settling down, there was a knock at the door. Whoever was behind it didn’t wait for permission before opening the door. There stood Mukuro, wearing a vest top and cotton shorts she’d borrowed from Komaru to sleep in for the night.   
“I need a place to sleep tonight and your parents suggested I could stay with you.” Mukuro told him, her voice a little softer than usual. Makoto sighed and sat up   
“You’re not gonna give me much of a choice, are you?” He asked, to which she shook her head. Even if he said no, she’d just pull her usual sneaking in at midnight and getting into the bed beside him to sleep until morning. “Alright, fine. You can stay in here. I’ll make you a bed on the floor.” He sighed and got up from his bed. She pouted, remaining in the door way. She’d much rather share the bed with him. He almost pushed past her to get to the cupboard where they kept things like spare blankets and pillows for when they had sleepovers. _Just a few more days… _he kept trying to tell himself. _This’ll all be over in just a few more days. _


	8. The Seventh Day

Makoto’s eyes may have been closed, but he was very much awake. He’d hardly slept. Something inside him was worrying no matter how much he tried to ignore it or drown it out. He barely even noticed the door practically banging open. 

“Good morning loverbirds!” Komaru shouted, hoping to wake them both. Makoto just opened his eyes and sat up to look at her. Mukuro also sat up from the floor out of Makoto’s line of sight. 

“Good morning Komaru.” Mukuro said in a sweet tone that Makoto couldn’t tell if it was sincere or fake. Komaru took one look at Mukuro, before turning her attention to her older brother. 

“Really Makoto? You made your girlfriend sleep on the floor?” She scolded him as Makoto got out of bed. He just let out a groan. Komaru had the wrong idea, but an even worse idea right now would be correcting her. 

“Oh, no, it’s fine.” Mukuro stood up quick, flashing Komaru a smile. She didn’t want to be the reason Makoto got into trouble. “It was my idea anyway.”

“Oh. Alright.” That seemed to convince Komaru. She walked away, leaving the pair alone once again. Makoto was silent, lost in thought. He was out of sorts, nothing like his usual self. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was burnt out by his current predicament. 

“Makoto?” He heard Mukuro’s voice behind him. Soft, full of concern. He sighed and went to the door, not looking back. 

“I need some time to myself. Please, just a short while.” He admitted, his hand resting on the door handle. He needed time to just clear his head. Maybe try and contact Junko and beg her to return tomorrow. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I just…” he sighed and shook his head. “I just need a while.” With that, he left. Mukuro stared at the door, a look that resembled a lost puppy appearing on her face. She didn’t like to be away from him, but he had sounded so serious. She didn’t want to upset him by following him, but the thought of him being away from her hurt her quite a lot. 

“Bye!” Makoto waved his family off with a usual smile. It was time to head back to Hope’s Peak, and his family had come to the station to say their goodbyes. Mukuro was holding his hand, smiling and waving goodbye as well as they drove off. Once they had left, the pair headed to find the correct platform. “You remembered your train ticket, didn’t you Mukuro?” He asked, taking his out of his pocket. He was in a better mood right now. His mind could just pretend things were normal right now. They were friends.

“Umm… about that…” Mukuro laughed awkwardly, tightening her grip on his hand for just a moment. “I never actually brought a ticket. I kinda snuck on and hid.” She admitted, a faint look of pride on her face. Makoto was a little stunned. She was so freely admitting to sneaking on a train without a ticket like it was nothing. “I’ll do the same again. Don’t worry about me Makoto!” She told him enthusiastically as they reached the train. She gave his hand a kiss before letting go and boarding the train swiftly to find somewhere to hide. Makoto just sighed and boarded the train, searching for the seat he’d actually paid for. 

The sky outside was dark. Rain was hammering down on the window outside. Makoto was just in his room, on the phone. He and Mukuro had gotten dinner together once the train reached their destination. Nothing fancy, just a takeout burger and fries. After that she’d left, claiming she had business to take care of. That did concern him, but he left it alone. His ringtone went off, and the caller ID displayed Junko’s name. He’d been unable to reach her all day, so he was glad she’d phoned. 

“Hi, Junko? I wanted to check you were returning tomorrow as planned.” Makoto didn’t waste a second getting to the point. He knew Junko. She could talk around the issue and not address it for ages. If there was any hope for his relationship with Mukuro to be as normal as possible after this, Junko would have to return tomorrow and undo whatever brainwashing she inflicted upon her sister. 

“Oh? Getting tired of your little girlfriend? Broke her heart already, did ya?” He didn’t need to see her face to know she was grinning like a madwoman. He couldn’t tell if she was teasing or being serious. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there tomorrow to see the despair for myself. Can’t wait! Bye!” She hung up on him before he could say another word to her. That was a weight off his mind though. Junko was returning tomorrow. Hopefully then this mess would all be fixed. 

Sayaka hasn’t realised how bad the rain would get when she opted to walk from the train station to the Hope’s Peak dorms. It was wet and dark, the sun having set almost half an hour ago. She was soaked through. She was almost at a run, wanting to make it inside before she got a cold, when a shadowy figure by the door stopped her dead in her tracks. 

“Sayaka Maizono.” She somewhat recognised the voice, but she’d never heard it like that. It was full of anger, hatred, and pure despair. The shadowy person stepped closer, and Sayaka could see who they were. None other than Mukuro Ikusaba was in front of her, wielding a large survival knife. Her short damp hair was sticking to her face, and her eyes were full of aggression. She almost reminded Sayaka of a wolf about to take down its prey. A chill ran down her spine, and she hesitantly stepped back. “You tried for take him from me… you… you bitch!” A sick grin began to form on her face as she ran at Sayaka, one that was full of bloodlust. Sayaka tried to run, but she couldn’t outrun the wolf. No, there was never a chance to run. 


	9. The Final Day

The news was spreading around the Hope’s Peak campus like wildfire. A student had been found outside the dorms, stabbed and laying in a pool of blood and rain. Makoto for the time being was stuck in his room. He had a bad feeling, one he couldn’t shake no matter how hard he tried. He had to get out and find her, he had to know!

Classes had been cancelled by the time he was allowed to leave his room. His gut feeling had been correct, Sayaka had been attacked. She was barely alive when she’d been discovered, and had been rushed to hospital. Wether she’d live or die was completely unknown. He didn’t want to believe it, but he did. He knew who’d done it too. He wanted to confront her before saying anything to anyone. After all, he had no proof she’d done it. Eventually, he found her, stood outside soaking wet while watching rain drops create ripples in the fountain’s water.

“Mukuro!” He shouted her name, getting her attention. She turned to him, her face completely expressionless. It didn’t even change when she saw the pain in Makoto’s eyes. “Tell me the truth. You did it, didn’t you?” He demanded an answer, his hand balling into a fist. He looked like he could cry, but was desperately fighting back his tears. He couldn’t cry, not now.

“I… I had to…” her voice was soft, but there wasn’t any emotion. She was shutting off her emotions, burying them deep inside herself. She was just repeating those words in her head over and over. She had to. Her hands were far from clean, yet this was the only time she thought about it after.

“What the hell have you done?” His voice cracked as he addressed her. He was stood right in front of his childhood friend’s attacker, and yet he couldn’t find it in him to despise her. He was supposed to hate her, but he just pitied her.

“She was in the way…” her calm and emotionless facade was cracking. Makoto’s heartache was affecting her now. She wanted to run, but she couldn’t. There was no running from this. Not on her own. “Your family may have accepted me, but you always liked her more than me!” She was shouting now, her body shaking lightly. All she could feel was bitter anger. “She was in the way of us!”

“She was never in the way, you… you idiot!” Makoto snapped, and he knew that was a tear rolling down his cheek and not a drop of rain. He didn’t even bother to rub it away. “You had a chance, we could’ve been happy, but you’re the one who stood in the way. Attempting to kill Sayaka killed that chance.” He watched Mukuro’s heart shatter in front of him. He was hurting, and for a minute he wanted her to hurt just as bad. It was cruel, but it didn’t matter. Mukuro grabbed the knife strapped to her thigh, staring at the shiny clean blade. Her broken mind told her to coat it in their blood. He’d never want her, and if she couldn’t have him then nobody would. “Wh-what are you doing?” He stepped back, focused entirely on the knife. For the first time since learning of Mukuro’s state of mind, he felt truly afraid. He’d known from the start that she could easily hurt him or worse, but only now did he think she would. He wanted to run, he wanted to scream for help, but his body was frozen staring at the knife in Mukuro’s trembling hands. It was sheer luck for Makoto that a random baseball bat flew at Mukuro, making contact with her head and knocking her completely unconscious. Or it would’ve been, had he not heard a laughter that he wouldn’t forget any time soon.

“That despair on your face Makoto, it’s so beautiful.” Stood to the side was none other than Junko Enoshima. Her hand was on her hip, and a gleeful smile was on her admittedly pretty face. “This is everything I wanted and more! I’m so jealous of all the despair my sister is gonna be feeling when she finds out what she did and how much you hate her now! Upupupu!” She laughed wickedly, walking over to Mukuro and lifting her up with a bit of a struggle. She was about to leave when Makoto shouted out to her to stop her.

“You got that wrong!” He pointed at her, the rage he was feeling towards Sayaka’s attack and the less than ideal week he’d had burning deep inside of him. Junko stopped and turned around, raising her eyebrow. “I don’t hate Mukuro. I won’t let you drag her into despair on a lie. Why would you even want to make someone close to you feel despair?”

“Why? What a foolish question. Despair is a birthright. Everyone feels it. Why, you feel it too. Despair at Sayaka’s attempted murder. Despair at the thought of her not surviving her injuries. Despair at your supposed friend Mukuro being her killer.” Junko told him, her teacher persona shining through. She dumped Mukuro on the floor, folding her arms and allowing a devilish grin to form. “From the moment I came into this world I felt nothing but despair. I want to fill the world with that glorious feeling. Of course I wanted my big sis Mukuro to feel the same wonderful despair! I almost envy her really.” Junko’s entire persona changed to a far more cutesy one halfway through her monologue, before changing to one of sadness as she finished. “Oh, how I wish I could be in her shoes… to have the one I love despise me for something I did…”

“Junko... you crazy bitch!” Makoto shouted, his hand balling into a fist. He so desperately wanted to punch her, but he held back. He wasn’t a violent person. Plus she was the only one who could revert Mukuro’s personality back to how it was before the whole Yandere drama. He couldn’t let that be jeopardised. “I know Mukuro tried to murder Sayaka in essentially cold blood, but I also know she wasn’t entirely to blame. If you hadn’t messed up her head, she would’ve never done it. I don’t hate Mukuro! Undo this brainwashing mess and I’ll prove it.” Junko rolled her eyes at him, picking up Mukuro again. She turned to leave, pausing to say one last thing before leaving.

“Game on, Makoto.”

It was late at night. School was closed, but Makoto had snuck in anyway. He had something to do, after all. He entered the garden and went to the private spot he and Mukuro had shared lunches the past week. He expected her to be there, and she was. She was just sat on the floor, curled up with her head resting on her knees. She looked up when she heard him approaching.

“Makoto? What are you doing here?” She looked confused and a little sad. She was certain he hated her and wanted nothing to do with her. That’s what Junko had told her, after all. Makoto just sat down opposite her.

“I came to find you. I just wanna talk for a minute.” He was gentle and kind to her. Even knowing what she had done, he couldn’t find it in him to be cruel. She’d also been a victim of the situation.

“I-I’m sorry…” she apologised, looking away from him and letting out a deep sigh. She couldn’t understand why he wasn’t cursing her out or turning her over to the police. She deserved it, and the despair it would bring. “I did it… I tried to kill Sayaka… you must hate me now, a-and I’m okay with that. I deserve it. I’ll just… I’ll embrace the despair. It’s what my sister would want after all.” She was trying hard to sound like she didn’t care, but it was breaking her heart. It was clear in her voice too. She was trying so hard not to cry. 

“You don’t deserve despair, Mukuro, nobody does. If Junko hadn’t used you as her guinea pig, I know you wouldn’t have done it.” He told her, casting aside his own feelings to comfort her. He cared a lot about her. That was something he had only realised when confronting Junko earlier that day. He cared for Mukuro, and didn’t want to see her in despair. “I still don’t understand… why did you even attack Sayaka?” It just didn’t make sense to him. Not unless she knew they’d met up in private. 

“I… I think I was scared.” While Mukuro retained her memories of the week, her understanding of why she’d done certain things had changed. That incident seemed like such a blur to her now. “I must’ve felt threatened. I could tell you liked her more, and you were so, so frustrated with me. I took that out on her… I-it wasn’t your fault though!” Even after she insisted he wasn’t to blame, he did take some responsibility for what had happened. 

“I just wish you could’ve sat me down and talked to me about this.” He sighed, his fingers idly fiddling with the string of his hoodie. Mukuro was silent, wiping away a loose tear from her freckled cheek. The guilt of her actions was consuming her, dragging her down into the despair she knew Junko wanted. 

“Do you hate me, Makoto?” That was the question that had been on her mind from the moment she had woken up after Junko undid the brainwashing. She wouldn’t blame him if he did, but she would rather he be honest than lie and say he didn’t when he did. 

“No, I don’t hate you. Junko? Yeah. You? No.” He decided to be honest. Lying wouldn’t do either of them good. He looked at Mukuro for a response, but she was just a still and stoic as before. “What happened was primarily her fault, and I don’t hold that entirely against you. Sure, my words and your apology don’t change what you did, but I believe you can redeem yourself. You don’t have to fall into despair. Have hope alongside me. I’ll show you the way.” He offered his hand to her, smiling softly. Mukuro looked up at him, seeing light in his eyes. Something new was forming in her heart. Maybe this was the hope he was talking about? It was certainly better than the despair Junko simply adored to inflict.

“I’d like that a lot. Thank you.” She hesitated, but reached over to hold his hand. Their relationship would need time to heal from what had happened. They weren’t the same two students anymore, and that was okay. Together they would heal the rift, and bring light and hope back to their world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! I apologise for deleting and reposting, but I realised I was unhappy with the original ending. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a good fanfic has a rushed ending, which is exactly what I felt I did the first time. Hopefully this ending is more satisfying. Thank you so much for taking the time to read/comment/give kudos, it means so much to me :3


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